Ethyl-alcohol substitute and process for making same



Patented Nov. 20, 1928.

UNITED STATES.

. .6.6z Nr OFFICE,

ROBERT M. ISHAM, OF OKMULGEE,

OKLAHOMA, assrcnon 'ro' DOHER'I.Y\ nnsnancn COMPANY, on NEW YORK, N. Y.,

A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

ETHYL-ALCOHOL sunsrrru'rn Am) PROCESS For. MAKING sum.

No Drawing. Application filed may 6,

The present invention relates a substitute for ethyl alcohol and has'as lts principal object the provision of a product havlng an odor similar to that of ethyl alcohol and having closely analogous solvent, medicinal and other properties.

It is well known that, in many commercial processes operated on a considerable scale,

the use of ethyl alcohol is dictated by con siderations of odor. In certain drugs, perfumes and barbers specialties 'it has been proposed to substitute isopropyl alcohol for ethyl alcohol, the solvent properties of the isopropyl alcohol being at least equivalent to those of the ethyl alcohol in most cases. The use of isopropyl alcohol forsuch purposes, however, has been severely limited by its odor. The product according to the present invention, although consisting largely of isopropyl alcohol, may be substituted for ethyl alcohol in a wide variety of products with substantially no detrimental effect due I to the odor.

According to the resent invention, the odor of isopropyl a cohol is modified to resemble that of ethyl alcohol by adding to the isopropyl alcohol acetaldehyde or butyl acetate or, preferably, a mixture of acetaldehyde and butyl acetate. When both acetaldehyde and butyl acetate are-added to the alcohol, the preferred proportions of acetaldehyde and butyl acetate to isopropyl alcohol are 3 c. c. of acetaldehyde and 6 c. c. of butyl acetate to 5 gallons of 90% isopropyl alcohol. In case the acetaldehyde or the butyl acetate is used by itself the quantity of aldehyde or acetate to be addedto the isopropyl alcohol is best determined by a preliminary test. In either case, a relatively small amount of aldehyde or acetate causes the odor of the isopropyl alcoholto more nearly resemble that of ethyl alcohol.

Acetaldehyde is a much more powematerial, so far as odor is concerned than butyl acetate. Also, the odor is entirely different. The acetaldehyde furnishes the primary odor of ethyl alcohol and the esters the after odor. The \introduction of acetaldehyde into the isopropyl alcohol amounts to the introduction of the. most volatile and most odoriferous constituent present in commercial ethyl alcohol. It can therefore be used alone with very fair results, givin a product whose prima odor is similar to that of grain alcohol, at which odor of grain alcohol.

rful isopropyl alcohol 192a. Seria1No.'107 ,262.

lacks the vinous like the rest of the esters, has afruity odor, and the addition of a trace to isopropyl alcohol helps to make the odor of the mixture approximate the vinous quality of the All the acetates of the-primary and secondary alcohols as from the ethyl to-the amyl esters are somewhat. similar in.odor. They may be substituted for butyl acetate, if desired, in the mixture according'to the present invention, although normal butyl acetate is preferred.

Each of the ingredients, acetate therefore contributes individually an odoriferous factor pronouncedly modifying the odor of the isopropyl alcohol in. the direct-ion of the odor of the ethyl alcohol.

claim: y

1. A product containing isopropyl alcohol and acetaldehyde, the proportion of alcohol being greatly in excess of aldehyde and the product having an odor modified materiallyfrom that of isopropyl alcohol in the direction of that of ethyl alcohol.

2. A product includin isopropyl alco hol and butyl acetate, t e proportion of alcohol being greatly in excess of that of the acetate and the product having an odor modified from that of isopropyl alcohol in the direction of-that of'ethyl alcohol.

3. A roduct including isopropyl alcohol, acetalde yde and butyl acetate, the proportion of alcohol being greatly in excess of the combined amount'of aldehyde and acetate and the odor of the, product resembling that of ethyl alcohol.

4. A product including isopro yl alcohol, acetaldehyde and butyl acetate 1n the prortions of 5 gallons of alcohol, 3 c. c. of acetaldehyde and 6 c. c. of butyl acetate.

5. A process of modifying the odorof in the direction of that of ethyl alcohol comprising adding a small percentage of acetaldehydeto isopropyl alcohol.

6. he process of modifying the odor ofisopropyl alcohol in ethyl alcohol comprising adding asmall percentage ofbutyl acetate to isopropyl alcohol.

7. The process of modifyingthe odor of isopropyl alcohol to resemble'that of ethyl alcohol comprising addingto the isopropyl alcohol a small percentage of acetaldehyde and acetate, the amount of acetate being substantially twice that of the aldehyde.

after odor. Butylacetate, Y

acetaldehyde and Having thus described my invention, I 1

the directionof that of v 5 and acetate.

8. The process of modi ing the odor of of alcohol being greatly in excess of the comisopro yl alcohol to resem lethat of ethyl bined amount of aldehyde and acetate, and alcoho comprising adding to the iso ropyl the odor of the product resembling that of 10 alcohol a small percentage of acetal ehyde ethyl alcohol.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

9. A roduct including iso ropyl alcohol,

aoetald yde and acetate, t he proportion ROBERT M. ISHAM. 

